Mountain communities sit on the front lines of climate change. With record-setting heat, shrinking winters, mega-droughts fueling devastating wildfires, and rivers and lakes running half-empty, climate change is an ever-present and visible threat to the communities we love. As four-season tourist destinations, our economies, livelihoods, and mountain culture face immediate and growing risk. We have so much at stake – and with that comes both a responsibility and a powerful opportunity to lead on climate and show how local leadership can drive global climate progress.
MT2030 is built on a powerful truth: though mountain towns are small individually, together they hold a unique superpower.
They are economic engines, global tourism destinations, and, with the economic imperative to act quickly, are early adopters of new climate solutions.
When mountain communities act, they can incubate solutions, scale what works, and model climate action for millions of visitors, communities and cities worldwide.
Because of this unique intersection, mountain towns have a powerful lever for driving global climate progress.
Despite the ambition to lead, 96% of local leaders cite lack of staffing and bandwidth as their primary barrier to climate action.
Simply put, most mountain communities lack the capacity to act at the speed and scale that this moment demands.
In building a collaborative platform and leveraging the power of this network, we’re bridging the capacity gap and acting as a force multiplier for local teams.
“You aren’t subnationals, you’re super nationals. Local leaders have proven time and again that we can move further and faster than national governments – and when we act together, we’re unstoppable.”
Governor of Washington
